Insulated step-joint.



.PATE NTED MAR. 21, 1905.

B. G. BRAINS. INSULATED STEP JOINT.

APPLIUATION FILED PEBJO. 1904.

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WITNESSES:

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY.

PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

B. e. BRAINE. INSULATED STEP JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED H1110, 1904.

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INVENTOR Baficrqft/ (iBroulroc,

WITNESSES: m g/t fi mmw WWW ATTORN EY No. 785,657. PATENTED MAR. 21,1905. B. G. BRAINS.

INSULATED STEP JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1904. v

6 SEEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR ATTORN EY mm 7 v m w 0n n 14 i PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

-B. G. BRAINE.

INSULATED STEP JOINT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1904.

5 SHBETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR imam/21pm BY 6W PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905. B. G. BRAINE.

INSULATED STEP JOINT.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 10, 1904 IINVENTOR:

WITNESSES fi w fd. ymcwm,

ATTORNEY No. 785,657.. PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

' B. G. BRAINE.

INSULATED STEP JOINT.

APiLIOATION FILED FEB. 10. 1904.

I 6 SHEETSSHBET 6.

WH'NESSES: I ,y xqmcmm- |NVENTOR ATTORNEY.

UNTTED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

BANCROFT Gr. BRAINE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE CONTINU- OUSRAIL JOINT COMPANY OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

INSULATED STEP-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,657, dated March21, 1905.

Application filed February 10, 1904. Serial No. 192,897.

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Be it known that I, BANCROFT G. BRAINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in InsulatedStep-Joints; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. v

The objects of this invention are to avoid the necessity of furnishingunder certain conditions an extra joint at points contiguous to theconnection of a rail of one cross-section with that of a larger orsmaller cross-section where said rails are to be electrically insulatedone from another, and thus to reduce the cost of construction and tosecure a more permanent and durable insulation and to secure otheradvantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter inconnection with the description of the working parts.

Heretoi'ore it has been customary in railway construction to employ inconnection with an electrical signaling sys'tem, where the signalingsystem requires an insulation of the rails and said insulation is foundto come closely adjacent or contiguous to a step-joint, connecting-railsof different dimensions in cross section, to first insert at a point orpoints near to the step-joint one of the insulated joints of the marketto separate one block or section of the electrical system from the nextblock or section in order and to insert at another point near theinsulated joint a stepjoint of any usual type. To avoid the cost of twocomplete joints of the old types is the special object of thisinvention.

With these ends in view my invention consists in an insulated step-jointfor railwayrails and in the arrangements and combinations of parts ofthe same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finallyembraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which comprise six sheets, and showing the application of said inventionto various types of railway-rails, Figure l isa side elevation showingmy invention as applied to a joint having the splice-bar type ofconnectingplates. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken at line m. Fig.3 is a section taken at line of Fig. 1. Figs. a and 5 are sectionsshowlng joints in which the angle-bar type of connecting-plates areemployed, the sections being taken through lines 1 and y of Fig. 6; andFig. 6 is a side elevation of a joint of the an gle-bar type of railconnections. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing an insulated step-joint,showing the invention as applied to the continuous type of rail jointorconnections. Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken, respectively,through lines .2 and .2 of Fig. 7. Figs. 10 and 11 are side elevationsshowing the stepped construction applied to a joint having a zigzag orcross arrangement of insulation in which the insulation lies between theconnecting bars or plates and the rails and between the ends of theopposing rail ends, and yet there is a direct metallic supportingcontact of each rail with one of the connecting plates or bars to securethe desired firmnessand stifiness, as more fully described in myapplication for a patent filed July 23, 1902, Serial No. l16,604, nowpending in the Pat ent Oflice; and Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional viewstaken, respectively, on lines w and w of Fig. 10. Figs. 14 and 15 aresectional views taken on lines o and o, respectively, of Fig. 11. Fig.16 is a plan, and Fig. 17 is a side elevation, showing what I may terminmy prior contemporaneous application; and Figs. 18 and 19 aresectional views of the same, taken through lines a a, respectively. Fig.20 is a side elevation of a joint employing splice-bars and insulationcontacting with but one rail member of the joint; and Figs. 21 and 22are respectively sections taken through lines 6 t. Fig. 23 is a sideelevation showing a joint having similar insulation to that shown inFig. 20, but employing an angle-bar type of connecting-plates; and Figs.2a and 25 are sections of the same, taken on cross or Zigzag insulation,referred to lines 8 s, respectively. Fig. 26 is a side elevation showingthe insulation in contact with one rail member of the joint only andshowing the connecting-plates of the continuous type of construction.Figs. 27 and 28 are sections of the same, taken through lines and '1",respectively. Fig. 29 is a plan of the type of joint shown in Fig. 26.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9, 17, 18, and 19 I have shown a joint of the continuoustype in which the connecting-plates are provided not only with bearingsto oppose the under side of the head of the rail and the upper side ofthe baseflange of the rail, but also with extensions 40 underneath saidrails and on which said rails are seated. Comparing Fig. 8 with Fig. 9and Fig. 18 with Fig. 19, it will be noted that said extensions are ofvarying thickness, so that the base 41 of each plate lies in a singlehorizontal plane from end to end, as in Fig. 17; but the upper bearings42 for the rails are at different elevations to accord with thedifferences in the vertical dimensions of the rails. The stepped oroffset bearing in these cases are also proportioned to form recessesbetween the plate and rail where it is found desirable to insert theinsulation for electrically insulating one rail from the other.

In said drawings, 30 indicates one of the railway-rails, which is oflarge cross-section, and 31 indicates the adjacent rail of smallercross-section. 32 represents the connectingplates arranged at oppositesides of said rails and uniting or joining the same, the saidconnecting-plates and rails being bolted together by means of bolts 33,Fig. 7, in any usual manner. The said connecting-plates 32 at theiropposite ends have bearings 34 35, adapted to engage, respectively, theunder side of the heads 36 and the upper side of the flanges 37 of therail or the insulation 38, interposed therebetween. Said bearings 3 35are stepped or are nearer one another at one end of the connecting-platethan at the other end, and consequently the insulation iscorrespondingly shaped so as to prevent an electric connection betweenthe rails.

The stepped bearings are so disposed in their relations as to providespace for the insulation, the spaces being varied to suit the differenttypes and classes of joints, as will be obvious from a close examinationof the several drawings.

While I have shown my improved joint modified in accordance with variousdetail constructions of connecting-plates and modes of insulation, I amaware that further modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Theimproved rail, in which are combined rails of varying cross-section,connectingplates having stepped hearings to oppose the head and baseflanges of said rails and interposed insulation, the said steppedbearings being reduced to permit the insertion of the insulation betweenthe rails and connectingplates, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved rail-jointherein described in which are combined withthe alined rail ends varying in cross -section, connectingplatesarranged and secured on opposite sides of said rail ends and havingbearings which are offset or stepped in correspondence with thevariations in the opposite rail ends, the bearings of the steps orofisets being partly reduced and having insulation therebetween toinsulate one rail end from the other.

3. The insulated step-joint herein described, comprising the railsvarying in cross-section, connecting-plates having bearings to opposethe under sides of the heads of the rails and both the upper and undersides of the baseflanges of the said rails, said connecting-plates beingoffset or stepped on correspondence with the variation in the rail endsand the offsets or steps being reduced to receive insulation, and saidinsulation being interposed between the rails and connecting-plates toelectrically insulate one rail from the other, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this8th day of February, 1904.

BANGROFT G. BRAINE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssELL M. EVERETT.

